This book delivers everything the blurb says and so much more! What an incredible read!!

When an eight year old girl goes missing from a family barbecue, DI Adam Fawley and his team begin investigating. This is a remarkable piece of writing, following not only what’s happening with the investigation squad but also the twitter feed #FindDaisy which gives the reader a whole new aspect of this case to consider. There’s obviously something in Adam Fawley’s past which is hinted at early on in the book and becomes clearer towards the end. There is excellent characterisation throughout this novel and this is a series which I will be making sure I don’t miss.

Missing child thrillers are never my first choice but this one is head and shoulders above the rest. It feels as if you are part of the police team as the reader doesn’t have any extra insight into what happened to Daisy. The twists and turns are so well written that you don’t actually realise they are happening. Each piece of evidence is weighed up and given due consideration and no matter how good your powers of deduction, believe me, you have no chance of working out where this one is going. The ending is gobsmackingly shocking!

My thanks to publishers VikingNetGalley for the opportunity to read this one. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

This is a gripping crime thriller which kept me hooked throughout.
The Police think Daisy has gone missing from a family party and start their investigations with the family and guests at the party.
It soon becomes apparent that this family is not as happy as it first seems and each person has their own secrets.
The story has some flashback chapters going back to the day Daisy was last seen and I really liked how this told the story and let it unravel gradually.
This is a great book and I will look to read more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for sending me a copy to read and review.

Last night, 8-year-old Daisy Mason disappeared from her parents summer party. No on saw anything- at least that's what they are saying. DI Fawley is trying to keep an open mind. But nine times out of ten, it's someone the victim knew. Someone is lying and Daisy's time is running out.

This fast paced well plotted novel kept me on the edge of my seat, urging DI Adam Fawley and his team to find Daisy. There are lots of twists in this intense psychological thriller. I was constantly changing my mind about who the guilty party was. Even better eas the books satisfying ending. I loved it.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Books UK and the author Cara Hunter for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story has a mixed style with DI Fawley narrating his part in the first person with reflective thoughts on his team and what he sees but a more conventional style when the story line involves the others in his team or in subsequent reportage. This mixing of styles creates a lively novel and is indeed compulsive reading. I read it over a number of days, but that is only because of my limited time. I can see this as a page turner if on a train or plane.
The story of the missing girl evolves with frequent flash backs to days and events before the fateful day. The premise is carefully constructed and quite plausible. There are twists and turns but easy to follow if you pay attention! I found the conclusion satisfying but it still left a number of loose ends which do not appear to be a precursor to another novel, but who knows?
Throughout the story we are given glimpses of DI Fawley's background as far as his family life is concerned and also a little of some of his team. These I expect will be exploited by Hunter in future stories; certainly an author that I will follow..
Just to say that this review is based on a preview copy, thanks to Netgalleyfor an advanced reader's copy.

I’ll be honest, this took me quite a long time to get into, and when I finally did get into it, it was for closure rather than enjoyment.

Our main character is DI Adam Fawley, who is a very competent but troubled police officer. We know that he’s struggling with losing his son, but we don’t know for the majority of the book what happened to his son until quite near the end where everything is revealed. This is one of the main problems: a large amount of the book feels useless. All of the juicy information is packed into the end of the book to keep you deliberately hanging.

Something that makes this book stand out is the frequent use of tweets. In the end, they revealed nothing that the reader didn’t already know - they were quite realistic though, they just didn’t add anything to the narrative aside from being something I had never seen done before. In the end, it felt very forced, much like the general writing style which tried to be conversational but came across as trying too hard.

The story is an interesting look at family dynamics, which I enjoyed. None of the characters, including the girl who goes missing, are particularly likeable but their relationships with each other are interesting/quite distressing. Towards the centre of the book, it does feel like the many threads are getting out of hand and are being explored for the sake of drawing out the book, and combined with the information-packed ending, it didn’t make for too much of a pleasant read.

Overall, I wasn’t much of a fan of this one and give it 2 out of 5 stars. I liked the dysfunctional family aspect, and it was certainly faster-paced towards the end, however the writing didn’t click with me and I wasn’t really into the tweets, which seemed to be only thing that made it stand out from every other police procedural.

Full review available at readabilitea.blogspot.com from 14th December

Not sure what to make of this book, I enjoyed the premise and the ending but wasn't really sure about the bits in between. I just don't get how it came to the conclusion it did, It didn't really explain how the person who was found guilty became charged in the first place. The ending which I think was meant to be a twist just became confusing, a readable book though.

I have definitely, definitely found a new favourite crime writer (and new crime series) in Cara Hunter! As soon as I read the first few pages of Close To Home I was hooked. It's a riveting read set in Oxford, which effectively combines elements of police procedurals with those of a gripping psychological thriller -this ticked all the boxes for a riveting read!

The characters in this novel are really complex and convincing, from the mysterious/ strange Mason family - do they have anything to hide? - to the smart Detective Inspector Fawley who has his own issues to deal with on top of trying to find out what's happened to little Daisy Mason! No character is completely 'good' or 'bad', they all have their own quirks and faults, and on the whole it does feel like you're reading about real people, something which isn't always applicable to other novels in this genre.

The pacing is just right, opening with a bang and warning the reader that these kind of child 'disappearances' are often linked to someone close to them (don't worry, it says that right at the start so I haven't spoilt anything) - which makes you think throughout that it must be someone in the family... or is it?  I love the sense of unease and doubt that comes with novels like this, and Close To Home hits it right on the head.

There's definitely some uncomfortable parts of the story, but that kind of goes with the territory and I didn't feel like any of the story was unnecessary. Like the police, I had various 'suspects' in mind and the tension of the story builds until... that ending!!

I won't say any more, just read this if you love your crime / police procedural novels (or even if you don't!) because it really is an entertaining, gripping and well-written read!

One thing I rather dislike when I’m reading crime or mystery novels is that I have usually guessed ‘who did it’ by the middle of the book…not this one! Close to Home kept me on my toes the entire time I was reading, and I 100% didn’t see the end coming!

This debut novel by Cara Hunter has truly set the bar high for the rest of the DI Fawley series. Full of interesting characters, plot twists galore and a few tear-inducing parts as well, Close to Home is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the very end.

**** stars from me!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

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*PLEASE NOTE (contains spoiler)*

While I highly recommend this novel, I will caution you that this is not a book for everyone, and if mentions of possible abuse & child abduction/murder is something you avoid, you might want to give this book a miss.

When DI Adam Fawley is woken during the night he knows it is something serious and he is confronted with a missing 8 year old. Daisy Mason has gone missing from a party at home and the clock is ticking to find her but her mother doesn't seem to have any interest in the investigation and her father is obviously not telling the truth. I enjoyed reading this novel although the twitter comment running through it just didn't interest me. I realise it's topical and comments stirring up
people are the normal things but It just didn't appeal to me.
Thank you for Netgalley for my copy of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was multi-faceted with different story threads running through. There were perspectives from different family members and police officers. It was also a very sad tale of child neglect and loss. The end was totally unexpected!

Close to Home is book one in a new series featuring DI Adam Fawley. DI Fawley is a great new addition for police procedural lovers like myself and I look forward to many more in this series.

Eight year old Daisy disappears from a barbeque and fireworks party at home and as DI Adam Fawley investigates the missing/presumed dead child he has to fight his own demons and sadness over the loss of his own child.

Some great characters and some hateful ones as well, I won’t say much about the Mother apart from OMW !!!!!

Close to Home is an exciting page turner that kept me interested throughout even though I did sort of predict the ending...... bring on book 2.

Highly recommended.

An absorbing read. A murder mystery with a difference, Hunter keeps the reader guessing throughout the traumatic search for little Daisy who goes missing at a family party. As the investigation goes no attention focuses ever closer on Daisy’s parents - who both have things to hide. The surprise ending is worth waiting for - although I couldn’t understand the prologue which just didn’t square with it and mendaciously sent us off the scent from the word go. A prologue shouldn’t cheat in that way.

Whilst not usually one for crime books I gave this a shot due to the intriguing description and I'm so glad I did. I stayed up late finishing it and was blown away by the many twists and turns that kept me guessing right to the end.
Daisy is an eight year old who goes missing during a family BBQ. As the police question family and friends they reveal a twisted web of lies and hidden agendas.
I loved the little reveals that were then turned on their head by more evidence, I really felt like I was learning it all along with the Police and I thought there was a very good use of social media which shows how it can be a two-edged sword.
I think this would be a great one for book-groups.

Really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. Daisy disappears from a family party - or does she? This book twists and turns and just as you think you have worked it out another scenario appears. It is a real roller coaster with a twist at the end. If you read one book this year it has to be this!!

Strangely this was one of the books waiting for me to review that wasn’t really piquing my interest! Once I started though it was impossible to put down!! Cleverly written, we are taken on a rollercoaster ride that has so many twists and turns you really don’t know who to believe! The parents are unlikeable, the brother odd, the friends not really friends, and every person we are introduced to seems to have some kind of secret! This really did keep me guessing right until the end! What I really enjoyed though was just how easy it was to read, despite the twists and turns, it wasn’t hard work! One of my favourites so far from NetGalley - can’t recommend it highly enough!

Daisy was frightened – she could hear someone coming for her; she knew she couldn’t get away.

When Detective Inspector Adam Fawley was called in the middle of the night, he knew it wouldn’t be for anything good. But learning it was a child abduction was much worse – they all hated cases involving small children and Daisy was only eight years old. The big party the parents were holding, with fireworks, lots of people from the neighbourhood, including children – the noise would have muffled the sounds of a child screaming…

As the force investigated, the door to door with the neighbours, the scouring of the nearby bush and surrounding land, Adam knew time was running out for little Daisy. They had to find her, and fast. But where would she be? How could she just vanish as if from the face of the earth? Surely someone had seen or heard something…

Close to Home by Cara Hunter is an intense psychological thriller that just buried itself under my skin and stayed there! The pace was electric – the clues and innuendoes horrifying. But the twist at the end – now I didn’t see that one coming!! Absolutely brilliant! My first by this author, and definitely not my last. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.

What a fantastic debut.
This is a very cleverly written and well thought out plot, with a believable storyline, great characterization, plenty twists and turns and an unexpected ending this book is definitely a winner.
Can't wait for Cara Hunters next instalment.

Thank you netgalley, Viking and Cara Hunter for allowing me to read and review this book.

I enjoyed Close to Home. It’s a nice gritty thriller of a book where DI Farley and his team of Oxford Detectives hunt got missing 8 year old Daisy Mason.

Going between past and present, this well written and flowing book takes you on a journey following what happened to Daisy with some fabulous twists and turns thrown in.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

If I could give this book twenty stars I would. I have not read anything like this.

If I'm not mistaken this is Ms Hunter’s first book, and all I can say is - please never stop writing. You have this thriller/suspense thing covered!

An eight-year-old girl goes missing - seemingly from a party at her parents’ home.

Detective Inspector Adam Fowley believes something doesn't quite fit, and he and his team slowly uncover unimaginable secrets.

Her ten-year-old brother is also not who he seems.

The author takes you on twists and turns, psychological journeys into people's sick minds that will make you gasp. She makes very clever use of social media as well. It’s an excellent job. I could not put it down as I was mesmerised. This should be a movie as it would be a blockbuster.

For those who are on another planet, the book is written in British grammar so there's no “bad grammar” here. There's nothing not good here, in fact.

Enjoy!

Elsa

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Set in the lovely university town of Oxford, I was expecting this to be, from current reviews, a gripping thriller about the hunt, led by DI Adam Fawley, for eight-year-old Daisy Mason, who goes missing from a family party. The title suggests the obvious: were the parents responsible, a neighbour perhaps, a sibling? Your expectation is of a suspenseful, edge-of-your seat thriller to find out not only the culprit, but of course, is she dead or alive. It certainly lived up to all of that, but my guessing journey was completely thrown off course with a surprise twist at the end. I really wasn’t expecting that...in a good way! (Sorry, no spoilers.)

A very skilfully written and devised plot with a full cast of well-portrayed characters…those you’re meant to hate (oh heck, you really hate them) and those who are meant to garner your sympathy, empathy even, did just that.

However, just a couple of issues needled me a little throughout. Firstly, various fonts and typefaces were used to isolate 'public' tweets (the public invariably become judge and jury in these cases)…but some were extremely difficult to read as they were very feint grey which does not work in Kindleland. Not a deal-breaker, but I just didn’t see the value of it as well as struggling to read them.

Secondly, whilst the book was written from both first POV and third-person POV in the present tense (not my favourite, I'm afraid), the present tense didn’t work for me with the flashbacks. They were in the past, so for me, they should have been in the past tense. And a message to the author, editor and copy-editor: ‘there’s (there is)’ is followed by a single noun, not a plural one. This is elementary grammar, so I was a tad disappointed to see the error in one of the slightly better-edited books I’ve read.

For all that, this previously unknown-to-me author is a new exciting find for me. Not only that, I gather this is the first in the D. I. Adam Fawley series, so I’m really looking forward to getting to know more about him.